Evening, Toni's Refuge

Toni moaned and turned in his fevered sleep, disturbed by the jovial voices outside his dusty hovel. He wasn't aware that it was Cubbi reunited with Sir Plucki. It was a mocking joy to his fevered mind. He was not aware that the pain in his leg had grown to a hot warmth that affected his mind, nor was he restful in his sleep. Lack of food, water, and a troubled mind made rest impossible, led on by his leg wound's growing fever. It hurt to exist and completed his torment beyond anything else the cub had before experienced. Lady Bane need not assist in lending to his night terrors this time. That one was enough. They plagued him hour after hour, his body having forced such sleep on him and the fever keeping him locked in the torturous slumber. It was agony, hour after hour of unrelenting pain, nightmares, and feelings of no self worth.

Councilor Wooddale's bedchambers

"Ah..." her Aunt Toffi said simply, her eyes on the patchwork quilt of her bed.

"That's all? Just... ah?" Tavi sighed in frustration. She also sat on her aunt's bed, glad they were here instead of Tavi's room. Too many interruptions there. Nobody came into her auntie's bedroom.

Councilor Wooddale gave her niece a patient smile. It did no good to tell the cub what she'd been told scared even herself! "Yes. Ah. It would take another encounter for us to determine if what you saw was a dream or the real Emi, niece. And Destini as well."

"What else could they be? That is how Emi looks, right? How I described her? I've never seen her before! How could it be just a dream conjuration??"

The old gummi sighed, nodding. "This is true. But there is one other possibility. The medallion has ways of letting you see things. Two now reside within you, Tavi. There are bound to be... repercussions. The Destini and Emi you saw may have been conjured from the medallions themselves. A warning perhaps. Or perhaps even as tutors. It isn't outside the realm of possibility."

"Still, Auntie, I need to know more about both of them. And... I wanna know about Emi first. How did she become what she became? I need to know."

"That may be difficult, Tavi."

"Why? Won't the others let me know, given these circumstances?"

"It isn't that we wouldn't, niece. It's that we're, well, not really sure how it happened."

Gummadoon Castle, Cubbi's room

Cubbi, nestled in his bed, couldn't stop smiling. Plucki pulled over a reading chair and sat down.

"I'm surprised you're still wide awake, Cubbi."

"I'm not tired. I just got back! I wanna know everything that happened while I was gone."

Sir Plucki chuckled. "I'm afraid I can't relate everything but... It was hard. It's always hard seeing your friends sick. I'm glad you were safe elsewhere."

"I did a really good job taking care of the stallions, Sir Plucki. Just wait and see. Sir Ramsei told you, right?"

Plucki laughed. "Yes, he said something along those lines. What about your other studies, though? Have you been reading more?"

Cubbi's face fell. "Er... Well... I didn't have time cuz I was doing chores so much."

The Gummadoon knight cocked a brow at him. "No time for studying, eh? Well, let's see where you're at, alright?" He stood, retrieved one of only two books from the shelf, and handed it to Cubbi.

The cub took the book with reluctance and cracked open the fresh pages. He had no trouble seeing the words but his reading was well under the normal for his age. He glanced at Sir Plucki. "I kinda thought you'd forgotten about my reading."

Plucki smirked. "You are my squire and I feel responsible for this part of your training, too. Had trouble amongst your classmates and teacher last I'd heard, correct?"

Ashamed, Cubbi's head ducked down. "Didn't know you'd heard that, either. I... I just don't like reading in front of them."

"What about me?"

"I... Plucki, you know I'm not very good."

"I know. And I'm offering my services as a knight to help you get better."

"You mean you'd tutor me? To read better?"

"Yes. Reading is important, Cubbi. Always remember that."

The cub beamed anew and looked at the book again with a sense of hope, and eagerness. He had Plucki back, after all. He could believe in anything!

Lady Bane's Castle

She'd poured over her scrolls and ancient texts, seeking a particular spell or series of spells. These gummies were so focused on their friends and loved ones. It was disgusting, true, but she could see a lot of potential, starting with that furry little sorceress. Instead of some true torment, how about a look at the potential inside of her. Give that little wench a taste of what true power can do and have her think about all the power she had bottled up inside of her just itching to be let out.

Ahh... There it is. A spell of resurrection. Difficult, and lengthy, but well worth it. It would rattle every gummi mind in the castle and for miles around once they knew. That little sorceress had a brother. Now where would they have buried him...